JUSTTHENEWS (Kevin Killough) - NBA's first openly gay player, Jason Collins, dies of brain cancer at 47
Collins, who was the NBA's first openly gay player, had been diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma, a deadly form of brain cancer.
NPR (The Associated Press) - Jason Collins, NBA's first openly gay player, dies at 47 of brain tumor
Jason Collins, the NBA's first openly gay player who went on to become a pioneer for inclusion and an ambassador for the league, has died after an eight-month battle with an aggressive form of a brain tumor, his family announced Tuesday.
NYTIMES (Sopan Deb) - Jason Collins, First Active N.B.A. Player to Come Out as Gay, Dies at 47
His achievements on the court were eclipsed by an essay he wrote in Sports Illustrated in 2013 in which he declared: “I’m a 34-year-old N.B.A. center. I’m Black and I’m gay.”
ABCNEWS - Jason Collins, NBA's first openly gay player, dies at 47 of brain tumor
Jason Collins, the NBA’s first openly gay player who went on to become a pioneer for inclusion and an ambassador for the league, has died after an eight-month battle with an aggressive form of a brain tumor, his family announced Tuesday
WASHINGTONPOST (Rick Maese) - Jason Collins, a gay trailblazer in the NBA, dies of brain cancer at 47
He was the first active, openly gay player in the league’s history. In December 2025, he announced that he had a deadly form of brain cancer.